Processing of cast elongated articles



Aug. M, 1951 L.. l.. JQHNSTON 2,563,843

PROCESSING CAST ELONGTED ARTICLES med Feb. 11, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l I NVENTOR L. chg/QM doh/757%;

Aug 14, 1951 L. L. JOHNSTON PROCESSING 0F CAST ELONGATED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 11, 194s 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 14, 1951 L. L. JOHNSTON 2,563,843

PROCESSING OF CAST ELONGATED ARTICLES Filed Feb. ll, 14948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 14, 1951 PROCESS-ING OF CAST ELONGATED ARTICLES.

Loyal L. Johnston, Zelienople, Pa., assignor to Herman Pneumatic Machine Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 11, 1948, Serial No. 7,574

1 Claim.

the processing of cast elongated articles it has `especial utility in the processing of cast iron pipe and particularly soil pipe. For purposes of eX- planation and illustration I shall describe the invention in connection with the processing of cast iron soil pipe.

There is a great demand for cast iron soil pipel which is a highly competitive product. Such pipe is made in various ways, the emphasis being on economy of production and low cost of product. I have devised a process of casting and further processing cast iron soil pipe whereby I produce a product of desirably high and uniform quality at unprecedentedly low cost. Also I produce cast iron soil pipe at unprecedented speed in relation to the investment in equipment and the labor required. I accomplish the various steps in the processing of cast iron soil pipe with fewer workmen than heretofore required, resulting not only in increased economy but in greater uniformity of product because of maximum elimination of the personal element.

I provide a continuous process of casting and further processing soil pipe or other cast elongated articles whereby the cast articles are received from the casting apparatus and are advanced continuously and automatically for further processing. The articles are preferably cast in molds made of mold forming material such as sand or the like and the mold forming material is reconditioned and recirculated for reuse. Preferably the articles are cast centrifugally, this being true especially when hollow articles such as lengths or sections of soil pipe are to be produced.

I preferably cast an elongated article in a mold, discharge the article endwise generally downwardly from the mold, turn the article downwardly onto a conveyor and by the conveyor advance the article for further processing. Especially in the formation of hollow articles I desirably centrifugally cast an elongated article in a mold when the axis of the mold is generally horizontal, tilt the mold and discharge the article endwise generally downwardly, arrest the downward movement of the article by engagement with its lower end and turn the article downwardly onto a conveyor.

A plurality of elongated articles may be cast substantially simultaneously, this substantially contributing to the economy of the process. I may cast a plurality of elongated articles generally in a row, simultaneously deliver the articles endwise generally downwardly and turn the articles downwardly onto a conveyor operating in a direction generally parallel to said row. When the downward movement of a cast elongated article is arrested by engagement with its lower end I may by engagement with the upper end of the article turn the article into generally horizontal position and deposit it on the conveyor.

I provide for the processing of cast elongated articles by casting an elongated article in a mold of mold forming material such as sand or the like contained in a flask, discharging the article and mold forming material from the ilask generally downwardly, catching the discharged mold forming material, returning the discharged mold forming material for reuse, catching the article and advancing the article on a conveyor for further processing. I preferably catch the discharged mold forming material on one conveyor, by that conveyor advance the mold forming material for reconditioning and reuse and advance the article on another conveyor for further processing.

I process cast elongated articles by delivering such articles directly from the casting apparatus to conveying means and by the conveying means continuously advancing the articles to a cleaning station where they are cleaned and a coating station where they are coated. The cleaning may be effected in any desired manner, as, for example, by blasting the articles with sand, grit, shot or other abrasive. The coating may likewise be effected in any desired manner although I prefer to coat the articles by dipping.. I desirably continuously advance cast articles and during advance dip the articles in coating material to coat them.

The coating material employed to coat the articles may be material which when hot is in liquid form, such, for example, as bituminous or tarry coating material. When such material is employed it is necessary to apply heat to the bath of coating material to maintain it in the desired liquid state. I provide for supplying the necessary heat to keep the bath of coating material in the desired liquid state by the articles being coated. I convey them from the casting station to the coating station suficiently quickly that when the articles enter the bath of coating material they still retain much of their original heat and thus maintain the bath at the desired temperature. The inherent heat in the articles also promotes encient evaporation and drying of the retained coating material. Heretofore the pipe has cooled prior to coating sufficiently that it has been deemed necessary to reheat it before coating in order to effectively coat it; I eliminate such reheating.

.The castL articles may be conveyed while in generally horizontal position to the receptacle containing the bath of coating material and may be discharged or dumped into that receptacle so as to be immersed in the bath. The articles may thenbe raised up out of the coating material as by an inclined endless conveyor and delivered to a loading or other processing station. When the articles are lifted out of the bath they are preferably tilted or inclined to the horizontal to promote drainage therefrom of excess coating material.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred Vmethod of practicing the same and of present preferred apparatus by the use of which the method may be practiced proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a present preferred method of practicing the invention and have shown presentv preferred apparatus by the `use of which the method may be practiced in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan View with portions cut away of a plant Vfor the casting and further processing of elongated articles;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal elevationalview with portions cut away and partly in vertical Vcross section of the plant shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic transverse elevational view to enlarged scale and partly in vertical cross sectionof the plant shown in Figures land 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan, View of a portion of the structure shown in Figure lshowing the conveyor for conveying the pipes out of the coating tank tilted.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the illustrated plant, which is shown purely diagrammati'cally because the invention herein claimed is not concerned with the structural details of the individual portions of the apparatus, comprises essentially seven stations, an overhead station A for supplying mold forming material, a casting station B, a mold forming material and cast article receivingfstation C, an article cleaning 4station D, an article coating station E, an article loading station F and a mold forming material reconditioning station G. Conveying means operate between various stations as -shown in the drawings to bring about a continuous or line type process. The mold forming material, hereinafter referred to as sand, is continuously reconditioned and recirculated for reuse while the cast elongated articles are continuously advanced successively to the cleaning station, the coating station and the loading station.

I-provide any suitable source of molten ma terial for casting of the elongated articles. For the casting of cast iron soil pipe I may form molten iron in a cupola 2. I provide an oval track 3 adjacent the cupola, the track being carriedV by I-beams '4 disposed at a substantial distance above the oor level 5. The track is of generally channel shape and receives rollers t from which is suspended by a carrier 1 an elongated ladle 8 trunnioned on the carrier at 9. The ladle 8 has four equally spaced pouring lips I0. `The ladle 8 is adapted to be moved around the track 3 to receive molten iron from the cupola 2 and then to be moved tothe position shown in Figures 1 and V3 opposite the casting station B, or opposite any battery of flasks if a plurality of batteries of flasks are employed.

There is provided a pit II one end of which is disposed beneath the casting station B. Bridging -the pit is at least one base I2 carrying a battery of ilasks I3. There may be any desired number of batteries of flasks. In Figure 2 one battery of `flasks is shownin solid lines and another battery in chain lines. If a plurality of batteries of flasks are employed they are preferably aligned longitudinally of the pit. Each battery of flasks may contain any convenient number of flasks, four flasks being shown in each battery. The llasks and the mechanism cooperating therewith may be of the same general character as the flask and cooperating mechanism disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 648,318. The invention claimed in this case is not concerned with the details of construction of the ilasks and their cooperating mechanism, the same being shown only diagrammatically. v

The four flasks I3 are connected together as a unit, the flask unit being mounted to turn between generally vertical and generallyhorizontal positions about a horizontal axis I4. Each of the flasks has a coreholder I5. Means are provided for spinning the llasks for centrifugal casting.

Mounted above the casting station B at the overhead station A is a sand hopper I6 which receives sand from a belt conveyor I1 and which is adapted periodically to discharge sand into funnels I8. There are iour funnels I8 spaced apart the same as are the flasks I3, the funnels being adapted to be disposed directly above the flasks when the flasks are in vertical position as shown in Figure 3. When the ilasks are in such position the bottoms of the ilasks are closed to retain the sand therein. Sand is introduced into the ilasks. Means are provided for forming sand molds in the ilasks, such means including a battery of mandrels I9 which are adapted to be introduced into the flasks as in my said copending application. When the mandrels are introduced into the flasks the flasks are rotated, and the mandrels are preferably moved transversely of their aXes to form the molds. After the mandrels have formed the molds in the flasks the mandrels are withdrawn.

There is provided a wheeled carrier 2Q adapted V to be positioned generally below the ladle 8 when the latter is disposed at the casting station, the carrier 20 having four pouring ladies 2l spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the asks anddisposed generally beneath the respective vpouring lips ID of the ladle 8. All four of the ladles 2I tilt together by turning of the shaft 22. A funnel 23 receives the contents of each ladle 2|V and directs the same into one of the flasks.

The funnels I8 are adaptedV to be moved along a track 24. Similarly a battery of strippers Y25 is adapted to be moved along the track 24 into position above the flasks. Y

In the -pit is a sand conveyor 26 extending along the pit from the station C. One side of the conveyor 26 is beneath the asks I3. Also disposed at the pit is a pipe conveyor 21. The pipe conveyor 21 likewise extends along the pit and is disposed above one side of the sand conveyor 26. The pipe conveyor 21 is disposed above the side of the sand conveyor 26 opposite the side ofthe sand conveyor which is below the flasks. A shelf 28 is mounted in the pit at about the level of the top of the conveyor 21 and above the left-hand side of the conveyor 26, viewing Figure 3. The shelf 2B contains-perforations 2S. A bracket 3.9 hasy pivoted thereto at 3l an arm 32 for a purpose to be presently described.V

The conveyors 25 and 21 are Vendless belt conveyors which extend horizontally along the pit from the station C. The sand conveyor 26 isv adapted to convey sand which it dumps onto an endless belt conveyor 2,3 in a trench 34..` The conveyor 33 conveys the sand laterally in the trench 34 whence it is elevated by an endless bucket conveyor 35 and delivered into a sand muller 3&3 where it is reconditioned for further use. The reconditioned sand is elevated from the muller by an endless bucket conveyor 31 and delivered onto the endless belt conveyor I1 which delivers it to the hopper IB.

The endless belt pipe conveyor 21 delivers pipes along the pit II toward the right, viewing Figure 2, onto an endless flight conveyor 38. The pipes, lying in horizontal position across the conveyor, are delivered to a conveyor 39 which nieves the pipe through the cleaning station D. The cleaning station D comprises a hood Y 49 and cleaning means not shown which may be nozzles ier directing onto the pipes at high velocity under air pressure sand, grit, shot or other abrasive. The cleaned pipes are delivered into a tank il containing: coating material which may be molten bitumen or tar. The pipes are lifted out of the tank Ill by an endless flight conveyor 42 which delivers them onto a car 43 at the loading station F.

At the beginning of a cycle the four flasks I3 which are empty will have their lower ends closed, the flasks being then positioned vertically as shown in Figure 3 to receive sand from the hopper IG through the tunnels I8. After the flasks have received the sand they are turned J' down to horizontal position and spun. The mandrels I9 are introduced into the llasks to form molds therein in a manner analogous to that disclosed in my said copending application. After the molds have been formed the mandrels are withdrawn and cores are applied. The flasks with the molds and cores therein are spun and molten iron which has been delivered from the cupola by the ladle 3 and poured from the ladle 3 into the ladies 2| is then poured from the ladles 2I through the funnels 23 into the molds to form cast iron soil pipe sections. After the pipe sections have been thus centrifugally cast the cores are removed and the flasks are turned to vertical position as shown in Figure 3. The strippers 25 are positioned above the flasks and are operated to push the pipes downwardly and out of the bottoms of the flasks. The pipes are designated 44.

The pipes and the sand from the flasks drop downwardly. The sand falls upon the sand conveyor 2E. The pipes have their downward endw'ise movement arrested by the shelf 28. The sudden arresting of the downward movement of the pipes causes the sand clinging thereto to be dislodged and substantially all the sand from the nasks and the pipes falls upon the conveyor 26 either over the edge of the shelf 28 or through the openings 29 therein. The pipes are turned down to horizontal position lying across the pipe conveyor 21, this being effected by the arms 32 which engage the upper portions of the pipes and gradually lower them as indicated in Figure 3. The pipes lie across the conveyor 21 in generally horizontal position and are delivered by that conveyor to the conveyor 33. The conveyor 38 elevates the pipes and delivers them to the conveyor 39 which passes them through the cleaning station D wherein they are cleaned, especially externally. The cleaned pipes are then dumped into the tank 4I where they are coated by immersion. They are raised out of the coating liquid by the conveyor 42 which is arranged to remove the pipes from the tank while the pipes are in tilted position, as, for

-lil

6 example, by arranging the conveyor in tilted position as shown in Figure 1, to promote drainage of excess coating liquid therefrom. The conveyor 42 delivers the cast, cleaned and coated pipes to the loading station F.

The pipes when they reach the tank 4I still contain enough of their original heat that they do not need to be reheated prior to coating. The heat of the pipes maintains the bath of coating liquid at desired temperature so no other source of heat is needed. Also the heat of the pipes aids in evaporation of the coating liquid applied to them and in quick drying.

The arms 32 may be operated individually or togetl'ier. Their free ends may be formed to embrace the pipes. The pipes may be turned down over the pipe conveyor 21 manually or by other means, the arms 32 simply providing a convenient mechanism for the purpose.

When a plurality of batteries of flasks are employed there may be a. plurality of hoppers I6 one above each battery or the hopper I6 may be movable to positions above the respective batteries. Similarly when a plurality of batteries of flasks are employed a set of funnels I8 and a set of strippers 25 may be used for each battery or the same set of tunnels and strippers may be moved selectively to positions above the respective batteries.

Apparatus disclosd in this application is claimed in my oopending application Serial No. 7,575, filed of even date herewith.

While I have illustrated a present preferred method of practicing the invention and have shown present preferred apparatus upon which the invention may be practiced, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited 'thereto but may be otherwise variously practiced within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In the casting and processing of elongated hollow articles. the steps of casting an elongated hollow article, conveying the article to a coating material receptacle, delivering the article while in generally horizontal position into a bath of coating material in the receptacle and conveying the article out of the coating material while maintaining it at an angle to the horizontal to promote drainage therefrom of excess coating material without interrupting the advance of the article.

LOYAL L. JOHNSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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